Proper Denture Care
Caring for your dentures is
not difficult, but it does take a little time and
effort each day. With regular
maintenance and daily attention, your dentures can stay looking
and feeling fresh.
Cleaning
The most important thing
to remember is to clean your dentures gently and do so daily. Just
as you eat with clean silverware, of course you should eat with
clean dentures! You may use a soft toothbrush, never
hard, and always keep brushing to a minimum.
There are also inexpensive
electrosonic denture baths and specialty cleaning
products available
from your dentist. These products are generally very economical
and they reduce the need for brushing. A thorough
rinsing of your dentures after every meal will certainly
help you keep your
dentures clean
When cleaning your dentures,
do so over a sink partially full of water, or drape
a soft towel
in the sink basin. This will serve to minimize breakage in
the event that you accidentally drop your dentures. This
is another good reason to consider having an identical
twin denture made.
Never use hot water as
this will warp your dentures. Lukewarm water from the tap
will do just fine. Keep dentures in clean, cold water when
they are not being worn.
Oral Care
Each time you remove your
dentures for cleaning, some care and attention should be paid to
your gums and ridges. Using a clean finger, massage
your gums,
both upper and lower, for a minute or two. This can also
be done with a clean, soft toothbrush. This serves to stimulate
blood flow to the area which helps promote healthy gums. You
can also rinse your mouth several times a day with warm salt
water
to help heal any chafing or rubbing caused by the dentures,both
new and old .
Most importantly, remove
your dentures each night or at least for a few hours a day to allow
the tissue and oral structures supporting the dentures
to rest.
Just as you remove shoes, glasses or clothing when you go
to bed, so should you remove your dentures. You were not
born with them and it is unhealthy to wear them all the time. It
has been proven that patients who never remove their dentures
have
a higher risk of oral cancer, an increased bacterial count in the
mouth and excessive damage to the tissue and ridges that result
in a loss of fit.
Breakage, Loss, and
Removable Dentures
Your dentist has used
the best materials available in the construction of your dentures.
However, this does not mean that they are indestructible.
If too much force is placed upon them or if you should
drop them,
they will break. Breakages --- from cracked dentures to
lost teeth --- can be repaired, often within one day. But
it's an emergency!
A broken
denture usually happens at the worst time. In the
event that you cannot see your dentist
immediately, the broken denture will either have to be
tolerated for a while, or --- if it causes serious discomfort
or
no longer functions --- you will need to stop wearing it.
Of course, because dentures
are removable, they can also be misplaced or lost. Then you
have no choice but to get a new denture! So now you
have to start the whole process of getting new dentures all over
again. But in the meantime, you are toothless. THAT'S
RIGHT-NO TEETH!
To save yourself the discomfort
and embarrassment of enduring a broken denture, or worse yet, a
lost denture, we recommend it may be wise to consider having a
twin
set of dentures made. This will save you lots of time, money
and lots of embarrassment! Most people consider an Identical
Twin Denture a wise investment.
